Every Episode In ‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 8 Might Be As Long As A Movie

There are only 13 episodes of Game of Thrones left. Like, ever (or at least until the inevitable prequel). Season seven, which launches on July 16 with a still-untitled premiere, is seven episodes long, while season eight will clock in at six episodes. That’s not much time left to resolve the show’s 146 plot lines, only half of which are connected, but HBO and co-showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss came to an agreement: fewer episodes, but longer episodes.

As previously reported, the season seven finale will be the show’s longest episode by far, clocking in at 82 minutes (the current record-holder is last season’s finale, “The Winds of Winter,” at 68 minutes). But according to sound designer Paula Fairfield at the inaugural Con of Thrones in Nashville, every episode in season eight might be as long as a feature-length film.

While the number of episodes has shrunk, with seven slated for the upcoming season and just six for the yet-to-be-produced final batch, season eight, the length will likely move toward feature range of 80-plus minutes next season, according to sound designer Paula Fairfield. She said season seven episodes will be their customary hour-long duration, but the finale of season seven clocks in at 82 minutes. In season eight, the episodes could be in the 80-plus-minute range of a feature film, as series like Sherlock have done. (Via)

The average length for an episode of Game of Thrones is 55 minutes, or 550 minutes per season. If every episode in season eight is, indeed, 81 minutes long, the six episodes combined will equal 486 minutes. Yes, it’s less time spent in Winterfell, but it’s also less time spent in Dorne, so… win-win?